Skyward Swords: The Trihero
by LightWorldMidna
Summary: Hylia's plan is working perfectly... Until the chosen hero was born as triplets! Hastily altering her plan, she makes Fi a human and sends her to live at the Sealed Temple with the Old Woman. When Zelda comes to the surface, absolute chaos ensues... Times three! Zelink. Action and adventure, friendship and romance. What more could you want? Oh yes! Humour!
1. Prologue

"Where... Where am I?"

"This is the Sealed Grounds, child. Are you alright?"

"I... Yes. I can't see anything."

"You are blind. I am sorry."

"Blind? ...Why?"

"I don't know. I can explain things to you, but not why you cannot see. I live in a temple at the top of this pit. Would you mind coming with me?"

"I guess not. What can you explain to me?"

"Do you know who you are, child?"

"My... My name is Fi."

"Is that all you know?"

"Well, my memory is... hazy."

"It will clear eventually. I can explain to you what has happened."

"Please."

"Would you mind if we continue this conversation in the temple? It may get a little chilly out here."

"Alright."

"Do you understand?"

"I... I think so. But you didn't explain why I'm here. And why I can't remember anything."

"We have time. How do you feel, now, having heard that?"

"I feel like I know that, like I've heard it before. I feel... strange."

"What feels strange?"

"Feeling. In general."

"The Goddess Hylia has blessed you, Fi. You are part of the plan I just told you about. You are the spirit guide for the chosen hero."

"Spirit? I don't seem to be a spirit..."

"That's because you're not. Until now, you were a spirit with only enough human emotions to comprehend the actions of your master."

"My... Master?"

"Unfortunately, who was going to be your future master is no longer... Shall we say, one person. Hylia's plan would only work if there was one hero, and thus, she changed her plan. That is why you are now no longer spirit."

"Not one person?"

"No, instead of the hero being born, there were triplets."

"They've just been born? Does that mean we have to wait before anything happens?"

"Several years."

"...Okay..."


	2. Chapter 1: Nina

It was early evening, with the warm orange light of the setting sun spilling through the colourful glass of the Knight Academy doors, the air uninterrupted and peaceful. I had just finished dinner. I often ate quicker than everyone else, but I didn't usually leave the table early. But I had been busy today, and I wanted to get into the bathroom before whoever it was that hogged it all night, every night got in.

As I got to the top of the stairs, an eruption of laughter sprung up behind me from the Dining hall, followed by an indignant reply. I sighed and found myself rolling my eyes, even though I know no one was there to see. It sounded like my brother, Link, was getting picked on again by Groose, as usual, and Beck, our other brother. I paused, looking over my shoulder, waiting for my best friend's protective remark. I smiled to myself and continued walking when I heard Zelda's voice. It's not like Link needed his big sister around to protect him.

I sighed. _Big sister?_ No. I wasn't, not really. The three of us were triplets, Although technically, I was the oldest. Everyone just assumed that I was older than Link because I was taller and two years ahead of him in school. I always used to think to myself _it's not his fault_, but in reality, it was. The youngest of the three of us was Beck. He was a few inches taller then Link, and they looked pretty similar, save for the fact that Beck works out with Groose most evenings, and Link is still... Well, _rather scrawny_. Link was a bit of a day-dreamer, sure, but he wasn't stupid or anything. He just wouldn't apply himself. Beck, on the other hand, was downright immature, never studied, and only managed to get into the Wing Ceremony last year because he was lucky. And even then, he only won because he has a strong loftwing.

So, in short, Link was the last of us to move up to the next class. I knew he'd passed the tests this time, which he had failed both years before. Only because he had spaced out when he was supposed to be writing, he assures me. But I felt sorry for him. He was racing against Groose and his two pals, Crawlin and Stritch. There was no way this was going to be a fair flight. To make it worse, the chances were that whatever dirty tricks they tried would be Beck's idea.

I shook my head, opening the door to the bathroom. _I really shouldn't be so negative!_ At least Zelda had been chosen to play the role of the Goddess this year and not me. I knew Link was friends with Zelda, and neither of us approved of the creepy crush Groose had on her. The guy thought he was a romantic.

Just before I closed the door behind me, I heard more shouts from the dining room, but it was Zelda's voice, not Groose's or Beck's. _She's standing up to them... Good for her._ Then I realised that she was probably standing up for Link, not herself, and had to stifle a groan. Link really needed to learn how to stand up for himself.

I shut the door, not wanting to think about that now. _Those problems will all be there when I open that door again, I'm sure._ I locked the door and took of my hat. I took a towel from the shelf and a pot to wash my hair with and placed them by the bath. It was, as usual, full of water. I freed my hair from its braids and gave my head a shake, then stretched, turning my head to the ceiling. The grate in the ceiling caught my eye. It always made me nervous. I knew that anyone stupid enough to try could get the other side of that grate from the roof of the Academy. I shuddered.

I put my sword and its bandolier to one side with my boots, gloves, bracers and belt, then took of my tunic and my ring mail vest, chucking it with my sword. I pulled off the rest of my clothes and put them with my tunic, folded neatly and further away, out of the splash zone.

I smiled to myself. "I deserve this..." I took all the steps up to the bath in one go, then stepped into the water.

"Great Hylia, that's freezing!" I leapt from the water and shook the water from my foot. I reached over to the tap, and, sure enough, the water out of the tap was freezing too. _Someone used all the hot water!_

I pulled the plug to drain the water. _Let whoever hogs the bathroom at night have it!_ I snorted and quickly began re-dressing myself. I would go for a walk instead. Maybe a swim. And if I swam, I'd have to fly, too... I shrugged to myself. There was no school tomorrow, it didn't matter if I went to bed late. I fixed the bandolier and the belt on, fastened my bracers and pulled on my gloves. I tugged my hat onto my head, but I didn't bother tying my hair up again.

I quickly put the pot and the towel back on the shelf and walked out of the bathroom, heading straight for the door. "Oh, Nina, done so soon?"

I turned round to see Zelda, hand on her door with a few books in hand. "Hi, Zelda."

"Does this mean I can have the bathroom now?" She asked.

"If you really want to... It's freezing!" I pointed to the door. "I'm planning to go for a walk and a swim to clean myself up. Wanna join me?"

She nodded. "Sure. Let me put these books away first." She gestured for me to follow her, and as she tucked the books away on the shelf, I sat down on her bed. "Does this mean that Karane got in there before dinner and used all the hot water again?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. But doesn't she usually wait until night?"

"Yeah, but she was probably fed up of being beaten to it by whoever it is that hogs it at night."

"That's true." As I waited for her, I looked around the Academy had apparently never had as many students as it did now. There had originally only been three rooms for the students, two downstairs and one upstairs, but as they got more students, they'd got room dividers and had extra doors built in. Each of the old 'rooms' now housed three students each. The top floor was the three girls, Zelda, Karane and myself. In the room underneath us was Link, Fledge and Beck, and opposite them, Groose, Cawlin and Strich. There was another student called Pipit, but he lived at home in the residential quarter of Skyloft. It was very... cosy.

"I'm done. Shall we go?" Zelda turned back to me.

I nodded, standing up. We made our way out of the doors on the top floor of the Academy, which took us past the Statue of the Goddess. Instead of going up the stairs to the Statue, though, we took the stairs opposite the Statue that go down to the Bazaar. I paused at the gate at the top of the steps. "This gate looks a little out of shape... I think we should get Jakamar to look at it in the morning."

"I haven't seen him out repairing things for the past few days. He's probably going to have a lot of work to do soon." Zelda commented.

I shrugged. "Well, you have to feel sorry for the guy. It's a lot of work for one guy to do."

She nodded. "And everyone wants to become a Knight now, not a repair man."

I murmured my agreement as we walked past the Bazaar. It was a fascinating place, very busy and loud with colouful things and people, but I never went in there much. It wasn't that we weren't allowed in there, it was just that so little even happened in Skyloft - you could buy yourself a shield there and you'd probably never need to get a new one. I already had a shield.

It was almost as if no time had passed by the time we got to the waterfalls, and neither of us even hesitated at the water's edge. We went swimming together often, and always followed it with a fly around Skyloft that quickly dried our clothes. We swam out to the middle of the pool without saying anything. Zelda dipped her head under the water, and when she broke the surface again, her blonde hair clung to her face and shoulders. I followed suit, and soon he were both sitting at the waters edge, soaked to the skin, dipping our bare feet in the water.

"So, Link's in the Wing Ceremony tomorrow." Zelda said. It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyway. "I'm slightly uneasy about it."

I smiled sympathetically. "I'm am a little, too. Groose isn't going to let it be clean flying if it means he'll lose."

"I don't think Link's ready." She said, looking at me pleadingly, as if there was something I could do about it.

"He passed the written test easily, I hear." I murmured.

"I haven't seen him practicing with his loftwing, though."

I searched the sky. "He promised me he'd practice today. Didn't he leave after dinner?"

"Yes, but..." She looked at her feet with her hands in her lap, picking nervously at her nails.

"It'll be okay. We can look for him when we're out flying, to make sure he is practicing. Besides, his Crimson Loftwing isn't going to let him loose. That is one proud birdie." I grinned at her, and she laughed.

She smiled up at the sky. "There's no one else I'd rather be on top of that statue with."

"I'm sure he'll come through. And I have a strong inkling that he feels the same way." I smiled and got up.

"Really? You think so?" Her voice was hopeful.

"C'mon, let's fly before I catch a cold." I walked to the closest platform.

"How do you know? You... Stop ignoring me!" Zelda grabbed my arm and tried to tug me back, but I managed to pull her along with me.

"Let's go!" I grinned at her.

"I said stop-"

I jumped. I heard a few footsteps on the platform behind me and I knew she'd jumped too. I simply enjoyed the feeling of the wind rushing past me for a few moments before I called my loftwing, whereas Zelda wasn't keen on the sensation of falling. I heard her call her loftwing several moments before I whistled for my own. My fall was abruptly halted by a mass of dark orange feathers that swept underneath me and carried me back up into the sky. It wasn't long before Zelda's blue-purple loftwing caught up with me.

"Let's talk about something more exciting!" I shouted at her over the wind.

"Like what?"

"Well, your dress for the Ceremony is ready now, isn't it?" She nodded and smiled enthusiastically. "Are you excited about _your_ part of the Ceremony?"

"Yes!" She shouted. "I was planning to ask Link to meet me before it starts so I can show him the dress - and so I can tell him to get some more practice in!"

I nodded. "Good plan!"

"Oh, you're still helping me get everything ready in the morning, right?" She called.

I nodded again. "Wouldn't miss it for the world!"

We flew on in silence for a while, not going anywhere in particular, just flying around Skyloft. There was no reason to shout over the wind until I caught a flash of red in the distance. I signalled to Zelda and we landed our birds on a small platform outside of Skyloft and I jumped off my bird once his feet touched the ground. I watched Zelda land as I waited.

"I told you," I said, pointing. "There he is. He's practicing."

Zelda watched him for a while and sighed, shaking her head. "He's not practicing. He's just flying. Probably day-dreaming."

I watched him for a while, then echoed her sigh. "I'll... I'll talk to him when he gets back. But maybe failing the Wing Ceremony is what he needs to get serious about this."

"_Nina_!" Zelda shouted, making me jump. "How could you say such a thing!"

"W-what?"

"Link needs to move up to the next class! He can't fall that far behind you and Beck! He'll just give up!" She balled up her hands into fists and I put mine into the air in surrender.

"I, uh, I'm getting the idea that you know something I don't..." I murmured under my breath, but she still heard.

She looked at him flying in the distance again. "He's always saying that compared to you two he's the useless one. He says that you're really smart and you can master practically any technique with your loftwing, and that Beck is really strong and he can fly faster than any of the Knight Academy students and instructors, and the Knights themselves."

I stared at Link and his Crimson Loftwing for a moment. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just said _something_, intelligent or not. "Wow, he never said anything to me..."

She looked at her feet. "He told me not to tell anyone..."

"Zelda, I'm his sister. I should know these things. It's just a suggestion, but what do you think to the idea of me giving him some extra tuition? After the Wing Ceremony, of course, there's no time to start before."

She smiled. "Would you? Thanks. This means a lot to me."

"You're welcome. Now, let's go back and get you some more practice for the Ceremony tomorrow." I suggested. "We can't have the Goddess playing the wrong notes, now can we?"

She agreed, and we flew back to Skyloft together. _I wonder if Link can win tomorrow..._


	3. Chapter 2: Zelda

The sky was a brilliant blue and the clouds a pure, perfect white. I laughed and twirled, not really for anyone's benefit, but because I felt amazing. This dress was amazing. I smiled as I remembered the late nights Nina and I had spent making both this dress and the gift for the ceremony. I made them myself, but she gave me tips on how to make it look better or how to make it easier for myself.

I felt my spirits fall as I thought about the Sailcloth. It had been going so well, but I stitched it badly right when I was nearly finished, only three days ago, and when I was unpicking the stitching, I tore the material irreparably. I tried to stitch it up, but I was just thinking of giving Link a ruined Sailcloth at the Ceremony and... I burst into tears. Nina, as ever the savior, gave me some tissues and told me to calm down and that she would sort it out while she rushed down to the kitchen and got me a cup of hot chocolate and told me to get some sleep.

The next morning, I wasn't feeling much better, and when I saw her, she looked like she had been up all night, and if wouldn't have surprised me if she had. I was expecting her to hand me a patched up Sailcloth, and was ready to force her a smile and give her my thanks. She gave me a smile and pulled the Sailcloth from behind her back, put her finger to her lips and said, "Shh, it can be our secret." Before stumbling off to class and sleeping through most of her lessons.

It was amazing. In my hands I was holding a perfectly stitched Sailcloth with a few stitches missing - the last few that I had never been able to finish. Under it was the original, torn Sailcloth, brilliantly and almost seamlessly patched, yet not as perfect. And between them was a note that read. _"It's up to you, Zelda. It's your choice. I left the last few stitches so it can truly be your work."_ I ended up being late for my lessons, but I ran back to my room to put them away, but I ended up standing there, trying to decide which to use. But it was really a no-brainer.

At lunch, I found her dozing off in the dining hall. I felt sorry for her. She had been working really hard to prepare for the Ceremony, volunteering to train the bird that was going to carry the statuette as well as the normal preparations. On top of that, she had been staying up later than she should have to help me with my dress. I slid onto the bench next to her, nudging her awake and grinning at her. "Wakey, wakey, life-saver."

"I did what any good friend would do..." She muttered, trailing off into a yawn.

"Are you joking? No friend would be crazy enough to do that to themselves!" I gave her another nudge.

"Okay, okay, I'm awake. I have a practical lesson after lunch, that'll wake me up. Or land me with a serious injury _and_ a detention, but..." She shrugged.

"I cannot thank you enough. You have literally saved my life." I said.

"Oh, hey," She said, as if all she had done was feed someone's remlit for one day. "I had an idea for something to add to the dress, do you want me to work on that tonight?"

"What? No! You're crazy! Just draw out some plans when you get back into class and give them to me, you need to get some sleep."

She shrugged, again, as if it was no big deal. "If you're sure."

When we caught up after classes, I was just coming back from a flying practical lesson when she was just coming out of her room to head off for training with the Ceremony bird. She looked far more awake. "Oh, hey, Zelda!" She called. "I have that plan for you."

I nodded. "Great timing. I have something I wanted to give you, too."

She paused and fished in her pocket, then pulled out a design for a sash to put on a belt for the dress. I looked it over in awe. "This... This is a great idea!"

She smiled. "I thought that dress might be a bit too much pink. So this is blue. I have some blue material you could use that would go perfectly with that shade of pink."

I grinned. "I'll have a look at it later." I beckoned her into my room. She followed me, going instantly to the dress on my desk and holding it up, as if checking to see that her dimensions for the sash weren't too large. "Here." I turned to her with the patched Sailcloth. "I know it's not perfect, but-"

"Hey," She interrupted me. "You want the Ceremony to be more perfect than just a little 'giving your friend a present', right?" I nodded. "It's perfectly okay. After all, I let you finish the new one to make it yours, so since I finished this one, I guess it's mine, right?" She winked at me and I smiled. She took it from me and rolled her eyes. "Besides, if Link gets himself into any trouble with his Sailcloth, I can help him out now."

"You really think Link will win?" I asked.

"No, I really think he wants to be up on that Statue with you, so he'll try his best, and, well, the competition is Groose. How hard can it be?"

I smiled as I remembered her waving it around like a little kid before she put it away in her room. She was then late for her bird training session and was told off by professor Owlan, but at dinner she didn't seem to mind, whispering silly imitations of his lecture at me across the table.

"Zelda!" The call brought me back to the present time. Nina was running up the steps to the Statue. She stopped in the courtyard a fair few metres away from me, doubled over and panting. "Zeldie, you... you were in such a hurry..." She tried to swallow back her panting as she stood up, pulling something from behind her. I recognised it instantly and felt a little bit silly. "You forgot your harp!" She handed it to me and looked me over. "Very nice!" She commented, as soon as she had caught her breath. "It really suits you! Did you make it yourself? Oh, your Sailcloth looks amazing! How did you do it?" She grinned and I laughed.

"You're such a tease!" I scolded. "Really, I'm okay with telling people you helped me."

She put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. There was nothing but her pride and happiness for me showing in her eyes. "It's your day to shine, Zelda, not mine. I have enough people harping on about my extra work training that dumb bird." She rolled her eyes and I had to fight the urge to laugh. "Honestly, I want you to stand out today..." She bent down to one knee and put one hand over her heart, staring at the floor. "_...Goddess_." She continued in an overly dramatic voice. "It is wrong for a mere _mortal_, a _sky-dweller_ like _myself_ to outshine the _benevolent_ likes of _you_, your Grace." The last word ended in a splutter as she joined in with my laughter. She fell onto her backside, and I was doubled over, clutching my stomach.

We finished laughing once, but just another glance at each other sent us into another bout of outrageous guffaws. When we finally calmed down, I held out my hand and helped her up. "You know what? I'm not nervous at all, anymore."

"Good. But lack of nerves is no reason to be out of practice." She gave me a stern look and shook her finger at me. We both began to laugh again. "Come on, Zelda, _serenade me_!" She cried, just when I thought I would pull something if I laughed anymore.

"Please! Nina! Do I have to send you away to get a note in?" I couldn't look at her without snickering.

"Alright, alright, I'll be quiet..." She took a few steps back, and I could tell by the quirk of her smile that she was about to crack another joke. She quickly curtseyed and muttered "Your Grace."

"That's it! Away with you, Nina!" I shouted at her, before bursting out laughing again. She put her hands up in mock surrender.

"I am going to stand in the corner now. Please, Zelda, continue with your... Whatever it was you were doing." I wasn't expecting her to actually go and stand in the corner.

Trying to centre myself, ready to play the role of the calm and collected Goddess, I turned away from her to avoid any more distractions. I readied the harp at my shoulder and looked it over, going through in my head which strings I would use and when. I quickly ran through the lyrics in my head. _Oh, Goddess, I don't think I can do this..._ I took a deep breath, played the first notes, and began to sing.

_"En dashabu, no bie shun bu, dien shu twu, keiranu sa lei..."_

I turned back to Nina, who had walked back to me while my back turned. She now stood right in front of me and smiled. "You make a great Goddess, Zeldie."

"Thanks."

She looked back in the direction of the Academy. "There isn't a lot of time left before the Wing Ceremony begins. I think it's about time you woke Link up, if he's to get some practice in. I have some preparation work to do in the Plaza, so I'll leave you to your practice." She gave me another smile as she hurried to the platform. Before she disappeared behind the wall, she looked back at me. "I'll see you at the Ceremony, okay? And don't worry, you'll be great." She was about to turn round again, but quickly added "And Link will be, too." She smiled, raised her hand in one last wave, and she was gone.

I looked to the sky as I began to play again, catching sight of an orange loftwing flying away. I stopped playing as my own loftwing landed beside me, and I held out the letter I had written before I even came here this morning.

"Take this to Link, please..."


	4. Chapter 3: Beck

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I got back really late from a wedding yesterday and was pretty tired. The day before, we were staying at a friend's house, and a few days before that, I was busy preparing, so I haven't had much time to do anything for the past few days. To add insult to injury, this is the week I assigned for my summer homework (Y'know, if I can be bother to do it), and then I'm leaving on Friday for a holiday. I will write a bit when doing my homework, but I don't promise that anything will be posted, and I will be bringing my laptop on holiday with me, but I don't know about internet connection or how much time I'll have, so I'm not promising anything there either. On the bright side, it's back to school after that... Well, that's no bright side - I'll have even less time on my hands.**

**Anyway, big, big thank you to shadowmwape for favouriting me and this story, and thanks to Bleachshowlover1, Blake-Hero of Tyme and GlissGirl99 for your reviews. Keep them coming, guys! :3**

**Sorry if this chapter is a little badly written, I was trying to get something down for you so you wouldn't think I'd given up on you. D:**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Oh, Goddess, forgive me..._

It was never meant to go this far. I didn't want my brother to lose. And I certainly didn't want Groose to win. But it had all gone too far. If I didn't do this, I would be thrown to the bottom of the social pile, not unlike where Link is now. Except I wouldn't have Zelda as a best friend.

If I kept on coming up with these ideas to make my brother's life hell, then I would stay part of Groose's group, basically at the top of the social pile. Was I so afraid of social rejection that I would pretend I didn't even study just to be 'cool'? Hell yeah. Before the written tests for my own Wing Ceremony last year I was up half the night for several weeks before, cramming. And since I used to take my loftwing out with Groose, I took that as an oppertunity to train in secret. I was soon one of the best riders in the Academy. It was no surprise that I won.

In all fairness, it should really be me who is recognised as the leader of this little 'group', but I'm not as outspoken as Groose, so... Some things never change. I'd had enough of Groose's antics, but I found myself involved in them time and time again. It made me furious, and I wanted to leave his group, but then I'd be their target. What I needed was Zelda.

I had overheard Link having a heart to heart with our sister one night. It was when I was about to put Nina's furious little remlit in his room, but that's another story. Both of them were talking about how great Zelda was, and Link admitted that without her, he probably would have left the Academy by now using some rather unconventional means. And Nina, who I thought was loved by everyone at the Academy, said that Zelda was really her only friend. Listening to that was a wake up call, for me. So was that remlit struggling free of my grip and clawing my face, but again, another story.

I knew that Groose had a huge crush on Zelda and would not make fun of anyone if Zelda was there. I might have had a bit of a crush on Zelda too, but for now all I cared about was making friends with her. It was really difficult with Groose breathing down my neck. I did manage to get away from him once at lunch and talk to her.

Groose had decided we were going to go out flying that lunch time, and I'd answered that I was hungry and would get some food first, join them later. They didn't care, so I made my way to the dining hall. I saw Zelda walking to her table when I'd got my food and went to say hello.

"Oh, hi Beck!" She smiled. "Where's Groose and the other two?" She asked, looking over my shoulder.

I shrugged. "I'm here alone. They went out flying."

She gave me a sympathetic look. "Well, you're always welcome to sit with us." she nodded to a four-person bench where Nina and Fledge were sitting next to each other, having some kind of debate.

I nodded with a smile. "That would be... Great, thanks."

She lead me over and sat opposite Nina. I slid in next to her, and immediately Fledge stood, stuttering something about homework before scurrying off. We all watched him go. Nina turned to me with one eyebrow raised. "What brings you here, exactly?"

"I snuck away from Groose." I muttered through a mouthful of food.

"And the other two still follow him like a couple of sheep so you had no one else to sit with." She nodded, chuckling. "I see."

"No, no, it's not like that!" I shot back. Then I sighed. "I actually... I really wanted to talk to you two." They looked at each other, then back at me. "You see, I'm really getting tired of Groose's antics. I don't want to be a part of it anymore."

My sister smiled sympathetically at me. "Getting a bit immature now you're in the second class?" I nodded.

"But I know he's not just going to let me stop hanging out with him." I looked down at my plate of food and dropped my fork, having lost my appetite.

Zelda patted my arm. "Don't worry, you can sit here with us whenever you want to."

I looked up at Zelda with a smile, and then looked at Nina. She nodded at me. I'd expected them to reject me, but they didn't. But I suppose Groose was the one who caused all the problems. I just played along with it. Plus my sister was irritatingly forgiving sometimes.

We ate (or tried to) in silence for about a minute before Link sat down next to Nina giving me a very quizzical look. I quickly swallowed my mouthful before anyone else could answer for me. "I'm getting sick of Groose. And while I still feel all sentimental, I'm sorry about putting Kylar in your room last night. And every other time I've done it."

"You did what?" Nina spluttered, choking on her food.

I looked at the floor. "I put your remlit in his room at night."

"Beck..." She gave me a look that can only be described as motherly and guilt inducing.

"Okay, okay, I won't do it again! Maybe." I glanced at Link, and soon all three of us were looking at him and awaiting his verdict.

He just shrugged and looked back at his food. "It's... no big deal."

I was ashamed to think that Zelda had offered me that opportunity several weeks ago, and I hadn't taken it. But now that Groose had hidden Link's loftwing right before the Ceremony... Well, I was now prepared to make the change. Today, I would be rooting for Link. _Screw Groose._

"Hay, Beck!" I turned to see Nina's orange loftwing land on the plaza behind me, and off came a flash of blue. She was kitted up in her blue Knight uniform as usual. I had also gone for my red uniform as opposed to my usual Skyloftian wear. I didn't often see much point dressing like a Knight. There was nothing to wear the ring mail for, anyway.

"Hey Nina." I greeted her as she came towards me.

"Woah, slacker Beck is actually helping prepare for the Ceremony." She gave my shoulder a punch.

"Not by choice." I pointed out and we both smirked. I had been spared a detention last week for not doing my homework by helping ou at the Ceremony instead. But Nina promised she'd make it fun anyway. She was pretty cool, for a sister. If Kukiel was anything to go by, Nina was an awesome sister. She was a great student and everything, but she had a cheeky side too, and she would sometimes team up with me to play a prank on Link. This, in the understanding that Link would team up with me and pull a prank on her. Yeah, we were a handful.

"You know what? I don't think there is anything left to do. I got Zelda ready and set her up to practice and everything, the bird is trained, everyone has been practicing..."

"Please tell me we're not in charge of gathering up an audience." I muttered.

"I am." She rolled her eyes. "People skills? I have no idea what Horwell was taking about. Anyway, you," She jabbed my chest with one finger. "Are in charge of checking the skies for obstructions and clearing them, and you only have me to thank for that."

I threw my arms in the air and cheered. Clearing the skies was the most fun of all of the jobs, and it was also the one with the least amount of work involved. "Thanks, Nina. Good luck with that audience."

* * *

I was flying aimlessly, guilt building. It was almost time for the Ceremony, and I'd finished clearing the skies. I was just flying about Skyloft now, and I'd seen Zelda push Link off one of the platforms, but his loftwing hadn't caught him - Zelda had. Groose had obviously trapped the poor bird because he was jealous that his own wasn't a Crimson Loftwing. Of course, because I was helping with preparations, I hadn't been there when he'd done it. I had no idea where that bird was.

I leapt into action when I heard the bell that signalled 5 minutes until the start of the Ceremony. I wasn't going to put up with Groose picking on my brother anymore. I landed at the Academy and overheard Link talking to Professor Horwell. They were saying something about postponing the start of the Ceremony for a was saying something about not being able to postpone it for long.

I waited for Link to leave and called to Horwell.

"What's the matter Beck?" He asked.

"You can't start the Wing Ceremony yet!" I shouted.

"Why? Oh, come up here. It's silly to shout ay each other from this distance." I shrugged and climbed up to where he was. "Now, what were you saying?"

"There are some birds flying in the skies that just won't leave." I said, making it all up as I went along. "I keep scaring them away, but they just keep coming back. I'm working on it, and I'll be sure to tell you when it's safe."

He agreed and dismissed me. I ran after Link to find him in the Plaza, talking to Groose. I swore to myself and kept out of sight. I was too far away to hear what they were saying, but as soon as Zelda and Nina got involved, things broke up pretty quickly. Groose, Cawlin and Strich all flew off laughing and Nina walked off, and soon after them, Zelda flew away too, leaving Link on his own. I quickly ran towards him.

"Link!" I called.

"Beck?"

"You looking for your loftwing?" He nodded. I sighed. "Groose did it, but I guess you probably already know that."

"Yeah, he doesn't hide it very well." Link murmured. He pointed over his shoulder. "Zelda just went off to look for me by sky."

"You know Horwell won't be able to hold off very long just because you haven't found your bird, right? They'll start without you." He nodded and looked at the floor. "Look, I told him I couldn't clear the skies. It doesn't give you long, but it does give you time to find out where your loftwing is. But you'd better hurry."

Link nodded. "Thanks, Beck. This is surprisingly nice of you. Compared to the repeated remlit incident, anyway."

I scratched my head nervously. "Yeah... I know. We an talk about that later. But if Horwell doesn't see me in the skies, we'll both be in trouble. Get to it!" I saluted him and ran to the nearest platform. He gave me a smile and ran off in the other direction.

There was nothing left for me to do but fly around for a while. I lost track of time a little while I flew about, but I knew it had been a good half hour or so when I saw Zelda putting Link and his loftwing through their paces before landing in the Plaza. I followed them down.

Zelda ran off, no doubt to tell the Professors that the race could now start. Link looked at me.

"You found him?" I asked.

He nodded. "Thanks for your help."

"It was nothing." I grinned.

"Well, well, if it isn't Link!" We both turned round to see Groose walking towards us. "Word around the plaza is you found that dumb bird of yours. Well, that's just great. Because you and your dumb bird can't tell time, all the prerace warm-ups me and the guys did were for nothin'. Now I'm all stiff."

I found myself rolling my eyes. "We've been waiting forever for the race to start, and they delay it for you? I don't get it." I yawned, and Groose turned to me. "You did this, didn't you?" I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, and he snorted. "You've ruined it Beck. You really have. But who cares - I'm still going to win the race!"

He turned back to Link. "I hate to break it to you, but today's the day I bust up that adorable little fantasy land you're living in. Zelda's playing the role of the Goddess at today's Ceremony, and I'm gonna be the one to claim that Sailcloth. And when I heard she made it herself, man," He chuckled. "No way was I going to let some scrawny clown snatch that prize from me."

He turned his back from the two of us ane began to mutter something about him and Zelda, and I rolled my eyes again. I heard something about a 'special moment alone' and struggled not to laugh. One look at Link, and I could see him chuckling under his breath, too.

"Care to explain just what you meant by "our special moment alone"?" We all leapt out of our skin when Zelda spoke up from behind us.

Groose stuttered some rubbish before saying "I was just telling my buddy, Link here, how glad I was that he found that red bird of his. Boy, am I looking forward to a fair race! Anyhow, later, Zelda. Look for me in the race. I'll be the one pulling off all the dangerous moves." He turned to walk away and glanced at me. "And I'll _'talk'_ to _you_ later." He muttered, and strutted away.

Zelda sighed. "Did you hear that guy? A fair race? Yeah, the chances of that happening are just about less than zero." She looked at me. "I don't know how you can be friends with him."

I glanced after him. "Yeah... I don't think I am anymore."

She looked back at Link. "Either way, don't let those fools get you down, Link! Just get out there and fly the best you can! I know you've got these guys beat, and deep down I think you do, too."

Link grinned at her. "Yeah!"

She smiled back. "That's the spirit!"

We were interrupted by the sound of a bell. "The Wing Ceremony will now begin! Participating students, please assemble!"

I patted his shoulder. "Good luck. Oh, and watch out for eggs..." He gave me a confused look and I shook my head. "Sorry about that." I heard Zelda wishing him luck too as I went to find Nina.

"That was very brotherly of you, Beck." She muttered into my ear as I stood next to her to watch. "I bet Groose isn't happy with you."

"Not in the slightest." I whispered back. We paused to watch them take off. "Yeah, you remember a couple of weeks ago when you said I could sit with your guys?" I continued in a louder voice now that no instructions were being given.

"Yeah?" We were both staring up into the sky.

"Well, I think I'm going to take you up on that offer."


	5. Chapter 4: Link

**Ohh, I can't wait for the next chapter. That's then this gets interesting! I hope you're looking forward to it, too. Thanks to Princess Zelda-figure skater, Blake-Hero of Tyme, Bleachshowlover1 and GlissGirl for your reviews.**

* * *

I was alone in a world of darkness, nothing above me, and nothing beneath my feet. I couldn't even see an end to the darkness. I cast a quick look around seeing nothing. And then, a huge beast burst out of the darkness in front of me, darker than anything I'd seen before. It opened its huge mouth to give a hoarse roar, then another, and another.

I was blinded by a flash of purple light. It came from above me, and above the beast. A voice came from it. The voice was indefinitely human. It sounded like a girl, but the voice was almost like a melodic computer voice - it rose and fell in places unlike normal speech, but it was not unpleasant to hear.

"Rise, Link... The time has come for you to awaken... You are fated to have a hand in a great destiny, and it will soon find you... The time has come for you to awaken... Link..."

The beast gave one last cry, shutting out the light, and the voice. I winced. It gave another cry, sounding more like a squeal, and the voice sounded again, sounding considerably more human.

"Wake up!"

There was another cry. Not the beast. I turned, and was face to face with a familiar loftwing. It screeched and I shouted in surprise.

The next thing I remember, I was lying on the floor. I looked to the window, and sure enough, the bird was there. It stared at me. I stared back. It cocked its head. I was about to close my eyes again and doze off right there on the floor, and it spat a letter at me. Right in my face.

With a mental groan, I gave it a look of annoyance and it whined, cocking its head with a look of amusement. It let the window board slam shut as it left, only a few purple-blue feathers floating about and a letter to show that it had, in fact, been there.

I yawned and got up, scratching my head and opening the letter.

Hey, sleepyhead. I know how much you like to sleep in, so I'm guessing this letter will be your alarm clock this morning. Did I guess right? Rise and shine, Link! Today is the Wing Ceremony! You promised to meet me before it starts, remember? You'd better not keep me waiting. -Zelda

I smiled and tucked the letter away. I ran a hand through my hair, rubbed the sleep from my eyes and tightened my boots before making my way to the Statue of the Goddess. As I walked through the gateway and into the courtyard, music echoed around me. I looked up at Zelda as she began to sing and I think I forgot to breathe. She was... Beautiful. Even from behind. Or maybe it was her behind...

She finished singing and turned to face me with an adorable giggle. "Hey! Good morning, Link."

"'Morning." I muttered, and I couldn't hold back a yawn.

She gave me a knowing look. "I'm glad to see my Loftwing got you out of bed. I was pretty sure you'd sleep in and forget to meet me this morning."

"I would never!" I replied, giving her a hurt look.

She giggled. "My Loftwing did wake you up, didn't she?" I looked at the floor and nodded, then looked up at her with a grin.

I grinned. "Great!"

She giggled again. "I think so too! But it's nice to know you agree." She gave me a small smile and blushed a little. "Thanks, Link." She looked as if she was about to say something serious to me when a deep voice sounded behind us. Her father, Headmaster Geapora was walking over to us.

"Ah, there you are, Zelda. Are you ready for the Ceremony today?" She nodded. "Ah, Link, it's encouraging to see you up so early. No doubt that was Zelda's doing." When I smiled sheepishly, he chuckled. "You know if you win the race today, you get to participate in the postrace ritual with Zelda, so make sure you do your best!"

I nodded. "She's been telling me for weeks-"

"About that..." She interrupted. "I don't know if he can do it! He hasn't been practicing much at all recently! And when he is out, he's just daydreaming!"

"Ah, while I haven't seen him out practising as hard as the other students, his bird is a Crimson Loftwing. You shouldn't worry so. Not saying you should be complacent, lad." He said, looking down at me.

I nodded, looking at the floor. "Well," Zelda said. "I woke you up so you could get some proper practice in." She grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the closest platform.

"B-but I can't-"

"Can't what?" She said. "Don't try to get out of this!"

"I can't sense my bird!" I cried.

"Can't sense your bird, eh? Nice try, but you're not fooling me. Off you go!" With that, I felt a huge shove on my back, and I stumbled one step, two steps, freefall. I desperate whistled for my loftwing, but I knew he wouldn't come. He wasn't there. Next thing I knew, Huge talons were digging into my waist, dragging me upwards. "Hang in there, Link! I've got you!"

I landed with a thud on the ground as Zelda's bird dropped me, and it stumbled into a crash landing before me. She was at its side in an instant, asking if it was okay.

"This is very odd, Link. Whatever could have happened to your bird?" We all looked up as the Academy bell rang. "My, it's gotten later than I thought." He looked at me. "Well, I suggest you go and find Instructor Horwell and tell him what has happened. He should be able to postpone the start of the race for a while. But you'd better hurry!"

Zelda looked over her shoulder. "Father, Professor Horwell with just come to talk to you about it. You're the Headmaster!"

He nodded. "That's a good point. Well, Link, tell him to meet me in my office. You need to go and find your loftwing!"

I nodded and began to hurry away, but Zelda caught my arm. "Link, I..." She looked at her feet. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I should have trusted you."

I smiled, putting my hand over hers. "It's okay."

"Are you sure?" She looked at me for a moment then shook her head. "Go and speak to Professor Horwell. I'll tend to my bird, and then I'll come and find you."

"Alright." I nodded at her and hurried away.

* * *

"Your Loftwing really is amazing, especially since he's been through so much today." Zelda and I had found my Loftwing trapped in a cave where Groose often hung out and had just flown to the plaza. It had been quite a morning. First off there had been a confrontation with Groose to ask him where my bird was. As soon as he began throwing insults and teasing me, Zelda got involved and the argument escalated. Luckily, my sister Nina was nearby and broke it up, throwing a pointed insult about Groose's 'pompadour' into the mix that had him fuming and running for the clouds.

I ran into my brother, Beck, who was friends with Groose, and he bought me some more time to search for my bird. I wasn't sure why he'd done it, as he was part of Groose's gang, but he'd been a little distant of Groose lately, even staying away from him at lunch and after classes.

We'd found out nothing about where my Loftwing was from the conversation with Groose, but I ran into Pipit and Fledge. Pipit had weaseled some information out of Fledge that he'd heard in the dining room. Something about a cave near the waterfall, and I'd known where to go. I headed off immediately.

Now, the two of us were stood in the Plaza, ready for the race to begin. "I'm going to fly back to the Academy and tell father what happened." She turned and left, but I wasn't alone for long. Said brother Beck flew down next to me at that moment and hopped off his green loftwing. Him in his dark red tunic with his forest-green loftwing made a dashing pair.  
"You found him?" he asked.

I nodded. "Thanks for your help." He was being a lot nicer to me than usual, and I was wondering if something was up between him and Groose.

"It was nothing." he grinned.

"Well, well, if it isn't Link!" Groose called from behind us. "Word around the plaza is you found that dumb bird of yours. Well, that's just great. Because you and your dumb bird can't tell time, all the prerace warm-ups me and the guys did were for nothin'. Now I'm all stiff."

I glanced at Back and caught sight of him rolling his eyes. "We've been waiting forever for the race to start, and they delay it for you? I don't get it." Beck yawned, and Groose turned on him. "You did this, didn't you?" He shrugged, looking like it didn't bother him in the slightest,and Groose snorted. "You've ruined it Beck. You really have. But who cares - I'm still going to win the race!" It was obvious Groose was unhappy about Beck helping me find my loftwing. But I still didn't know _why _he did.

Groose turned back to me. "I hate to break it to you, but today's the day I bust up that adorable little fantasy land you're living in. Zelda's playing the role of the Goddess at today's Ceremony, and I'm gonna be the one to claim that Sailcloth. And when I heard she made it herself, man," He chuckled. "No way was I going to let some scrawny clown snatch that prize from me."

He turned around began to mutter something about him and Zelda. _And he thinks I fly around with my head in the clouds?_ I rolled my eyes. He spoke up a little when he started talking about a 'special moment alone' and couldn't help chuckling.

"Care to explain just what you meant by "our special moment alone"?" I jumped and turned to see Zelda.

Groose stuttered something along the lines of 'nothing', but he knew as well as I did that Zelda wasn't going to buy that. "I was just telling my buddy, Link here, how glad I was that he found that red bird of his." And I knew she was even less likely to believe that. "Boy, am I looking forward to a fair race! Anyhow, later, Zelda. Look for me in the race. I'll be the one pulling off all the dangerous moves." He began to walk away and paused to look at Beck. "And I'll 'talk' to you later." He did the 'tough guy' equivalent of flicking his hair over his shoulders and doing the bitchy walk as he left.

Zelda sighed. "Did you hear that guy? A fair race? Yeah, the chances of that happening are just about less than zero." She gave Beck a look of exasperation. "I don't know how you can be friends with him."

He glanced at Groose, the other side of the Plaza. "Yeah... I don't think I am anymore."

She turned back to me. "Either way, don't let those fools get you down, Link! Just get out there and fly the best you can! I know you've got these guys beat, and deep down I think you do, too."

I couldn't help grinning at her confidence in me. A bit of that optimism obviously seeped into me, too. "Yeah!" I replied.

She smiled back. "That's the spirit!"

A bell sounded from behind us. "The Wing Ceremony will now begin! Participating students, please assemble!"

Beck stepped towards me and patted my shoulder. "Good luck. Oh, and watch out for eggs..." Confused, I glanced at him, hoping he'd explain, but he shook his head. "Sorry about that." He wondered into the crowd.

Zelda smiled at me. "Good luck. I know you can win this!"

I found myself daydreaming about being on the Statue with Zelda rather than paying attention to the rules, but I already knew them anyway. When I was pulled out of my daydream, the four of us were running for the sky.

I was going to win this. For Zelda.


	6. Chapter 5: Zelda

**Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I was going to put it up yesterday, but I wasn't feeling brilliant last night, so I went to bed without finishing it (yes, I do actually sleep!). I found out today that the place I'm going on holiday does have internet connection, so I promise I won't make you go a week without an update :3**

**Woah! This story seems to be becoming quite popular! I didn't think anyone else would be this keen on the idea of triplets, but you guys seem to love it... Thank you so much for your support! Big thank you to beatleboy and Vestasam568 for favouriting this story! Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater, Blake-Hero of Tyme, GlissGirl99 and AngelAnimexinf (Thank you for the cookie. I'm afraid that's what heppens when you stick to canon :/ But anyway, here's your next chapter :D) I'd just like to say, to all of those who just follow the story, I appreciate you, too :3 But If I made a thing of writing your names, too, I would seriously confuse myself. But I thought I should let you all know that I love you guys too! ^^**

**Okay, this chapter is where it gets interesting. It is a little canon-y, so you can probably guess what's happening... The tactics I've written about in the Wing Ceremony are the same ones I use when I play. And I bet it's not just me that does it :P Enjoy!**

* * *

_They'd told me not to worry, but how could I not?_ I'd seen him flying about and not practicing. He wasn't taking this seriously. The race had begun and I'd found my place between Nina and Beck. Nina was staring intently at the sky, but Beck turned and smiled at me. I wondered if now that he was no longer friends with Groose, he'd come and sit with us at lunch like I offered, but Beck was pretty unpredictable. He had just smiled at me, after all.

The race began rather cleanly, to my surprise. None of them used any dirty moves. There were a fair few times that Link got close to grabbing the statuette and a few that Groose did. If I considered the gasps of the crowd behind me, I was guessing that Link had more support.

At one point, Strich very nearly grabbed the figurine, and I had a very strange thought about the Ceremony without Link or even Groose. I hadn't even considered that Cawlin or Strich would win - I thought Groose would have bullied them into letting him win. It just goes to show that in the Wing Ceremony, it's each to his own.

The race was almost like a friendly fly about for a while. Some onlookers started to mutter about it being over quickly, but I paid them no mind and kept focused on the race.

Link was leading the group by quite a margin, slowly gaining on the golden bird as it made large, lazy turns. And then... It was flying in completely the opposite direction. It had pulled off a complex maneuver of a quick dive to get under its pursuer, then quickly gaining altitude. It was a move that it could have only been taught by Nina. I glared at her.

She shrugged with a guilty smile. "I wanted it to be interesting." She muttered.

I looked back at the sky. Link was now at the back of the group, but the loftwing was now making quick turns and throwing them all off. They'd get close, and then the bird would disappear from in front of them. Link was gliding around at the other side of the sky.

I turned and grabbed Nina's arm. "Make it stop!" I hissed.

She patted my hand and shook her head. "I can't..."

Everyone seemed to catch their breath as the golden loftwing turned and flew in Link's direction. He was so close... He reached out and...

There was a loud squawk from the Crimson Loftwing as it was harshly nudged by Groose's bird. There was an roar of disapproval from the crowd as Link fell back once again. Shoving another bird was not a popular tactic. It was considered dirty flying, but it wasn't against the rules. If Groose won this now, it would not be considered a good victory.

Link caught up with the group again, but something was thrown at him by Cawlin. It missed by feather. But another was thrown by Strich, and it caught Link on the side of the head. He nearly fell from his bird.

"Shit." I heard Beck mutter from beside me. "They're actually doing it. I told him to watch out..."

_Eggs? They're throwing Eggs?_ "Surely throwing eggs is against the rules!" I shouted, just as Link ducked to avoid being his by another.

Furious muttering rippled around me. I knew that it was becoming less and less likely that Link would win now. If he went near the group, it would only be moments before his main focus was dodging, not flying for the statuette.

_This is so unfair!_ Link dropped back. "He's giving up!" I turned to Nina.

"No!" She whispered. "Look at that!" I turned back. The bird had been flying generally level with Skyloft. Link was gaining altitude and was flying closer to the sun.

Beck chuckled. "Well, well, it looks like he actually knows what he's doing." Nina muttered in agreement. I looked between the siblings. _Am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on here?_

All of a sudden, the Crimson Loftwing dropped, diving straight down. The bird passed underneath him by only a little way. Link, now travelling considerably faster than the others, dropped into the group only inches in front of Groose. Surprised, his bird shied and stopped. Strich had been flying behind him and they collided. The crowd erupted into cheers. It was a perfectly reasonable move, and well executed. Link now had the favour of everyone watching.

It was now between Link and Cawlin. Cawlin had been behind anyway, and Link had the momentum of the drop. There was no contest. He reached out... His finger brushed the statuette once... twice... and he grabbed it. Skyloft came alive with cheers and screams, including my own, Nina's, and surprisingly, Beck's.

I couldn't wait to congratulate him. So as he flew closer and closer to Skyloft, I called to him. "Link!" As he looked up, I leapt into the sky. I knew he'd catch me. And he did.

"Are you okay?" He asked urgently.

"Don't worry - I'm fine!" I smiled, looking him straight in the eye. Then I shifted how I was sitting, so I was sitting closer to him. "Let's go and finish this Ceremony!"

He smiled at me, saying nothing as he steered his loftwing to the Statue. It was a quiet ride, but I didn't mind. It was nice. I knew Link was daydreaming, but he'd already won the race - it didn't really bother me anymore.

We weren't far from the Statue of the Goddess as it was, so it wasn't long before he was making a rather precarious jump off his loftwing. The platform was too small and the bird refused to land there. I couldn't blame him - I didn't particularly want to be up there myself. Link turned to me. "You don't... You don't expect me to jump that, do you?" I asked shakily, looking at the gap the loftwing had left between where I was and where Link was.

He shot me a cheeky grin. "I caught you last time you jumped, didn't I?"

I bit my lip and looked at the ground far, far below. "It was much easier to jump that time..." I muttered.

He looked like he was about to say something else, but his expression turned to silent surprise as I made the jump without warning. When I felt my feet on solid ground again, I opened my eyes. I was leaning against him with my head buried into his shirt, my hands on his shoulders and his arms around my waist. I looked up at him and just smiled as a thought played across my mind. _Boy, am I glad Link won, and not Groose._

"Hey, um..." I shuffled back a bit, far enough to make it easier to look at him, but not so far that he felt he needed to move his arms. When he didn't, I felt hope stirring inside me. _I'll tell him today!_ "What would you say to spending some time together after the Ceremony?" _I'll tell him that I've had a crush on him for as long as I can remember..._

He smiled. "I'd love to."

Unable to hide the fact that I was blushing, I decided to get on with the Ceremony. I took a few steps back from him, breaking our embrace, and turned away to quickly focus myself. I turned back to him and watched his face play out expressions of confusion that turned to realisation when I held out my hand. "Link, hand me that Bird Statuette you grabbed in the race. I must offer it to the Goddess."

He took the statuette from his pocket in silence and gave it to me. I ran my fingers over it, expecting it to be rough, but the wood was smooth and warn. It gave the little artifact a sense of age, and it seemed appropriate. After all, the stories tell that the Goddess was alive thousands of years before us...

I placed the Statuette in the shrine of the Statue. I took out my harp and began to play. I was about to sing when I heard a voice carried on the winds that sung for me. It was a divine voice, I could only describe it as the voice of the Goddess herself. So I played the Ballad without joining my voice to the melody.

I slipped the harp away and cast a glance at the face of the Statue before turning back to Link. I held my hand out to him, and without a moments hesitation, he took it, sunk down to his knees and held a hand over his heart. I closed my eyes, enjoying he feeling of his hand against mine, and began speaking the ritual words. "Great Goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessing and mercy as I act in your stead during this Ceremony." I felt my heart flutter slightly, and I wasn't quite sure why. Was I nervous about the Ceremony? Or maybe about spending some time with Link?

I swear the voice than continued to speak wasn't my own. It seemed very similar to mine, but slightly different. There was something older about it. Maybe it was just the words I was saying. I was slightly light-headed, thinking about what to say later... "Valiant youth who grasped victory at the celebration of the bird folk... In accordance with the old ways... I now bestow the blessings of the goddess upon you."

I took my hand from Link's and began to untie the Sailcloth from my back. He kept his eyes trained on the ground. When he did look at me, the Sailcloth was removed and folded, and I held it out to him. "The blessings of the goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass on to you."

For a moment, he just stared at me. I was tempted to ask if I had something in my teeth, but then he smiled at me and took the Sailcloth, standing up. He held it close and smiled at me again. "It smells nice..."

"Link! Quit goofing around." I had to cover my mouth to disguise the laugh that bubbled up inside me. "This is supposed to the a sacred ritual, remember?" I looked over my shoulder at the Statue behind me. "You know, they say that the goddess gave the Sailcloth to her chosen hero long ago." I looked back at Link, seeing him stare up at the face of the Statue in awe. "Of course, the one you're holding isn't the same one. I've been working hard to finish making this Sailcloth in time to give it to today's champion." I felt a twinge of guilt when I considered that Nina had done most of the work on the Sailcloth he was holding, but I pushed it away. This is what she meant when she said it could be our little secret, right? "I'm really glad I got to give it to you, Link. Make sure you take good care of it, okay?"

He nodded, and I smiled. "Thanks for making it up here to do this with me today, like you promised, Link." He nodded again, grinning. "Now... We really should finish up this ritual..."

* * *

I closed my eyes against the wind that lifted my hair from my shoulders. The weather really was nice, today. It was a great day for flying. There was also nothing that could ruin this moment...

"...Link?" I decided to tell him now. There would be no better time. "Hey, Link!" He turned to look at me. I leaned slightly, and my bird flew closer. I swallowed hard. "T-Today was amazing, Link. Watching you win the race and performing the ritual together... Link, you were amazing! I'll always remember this. It... It really was wonderful."

His smile was so sweet. And so encouraging. It was moments like these that there was no doubt in my mind that he felt the same way. "You know, Link..." I flew my loftwing closer still. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about..."

I was about to open my mouth and just confess, but a flash to one side almost blinded me, and I shielded my eyes. When I was able to look again, I was met with the sight of something I couldn't put a name to. "What is that?" I shouted over the sudden pick up in wind. A huge tornado of sorts was flying towards us. It was unlike any I'd ever seen before - it was dark and seemed to be full of dust.

We were heading for the right angle to skirt the worst of it, as we had been taught, but it suddenly changed direction and headed straight for us. It didn't matter that trying to outfly a tornado was the worst option, it was out only option. As we both tried to slow our loftwings down, I noticed just how fast the thing was travelling, and just how big it was. I felt a sudden flash of panic as I realised that I might not have enough time to turn my bird around.

The tornado was travelling ever closer, and I noticed that my bird was slowly being drawn towards it. Link's Crimson Loftwing was one of the strongest in the skies and was able to pull back, but my loftwing wasn't. A stong wind suddenly buffeted me and knocked my from my bird. I know I screamed Link's name before I blacked out, but that was all I remember. I wasn't sure if I had been thrown up into the sky or fallen below the clouds...

* * *

A light seemed to be seeping through my closed eyes. I knew it wasn't sunlight, as it was a purple colour. And the sun didn't talk.

The voice was female, I'm certain, but it spoke with some kind of odd accent. It was almost like a robot. At first, I couldn't make out what she was saying. All of her words seemed to be in some kind of strange order, and I didn't understand it. As the voice got louder, I realised it wasn't what she was saying that was strange, but the way she was saying it. Each word seemed to be sung, but without a melody.

"I see you have returned... I have been waiting for you... Do not be afraid, this is your destiny..." I could have sworn that after that, she said "Hylia" a few times before the voice faded away. Was she praying? The light faded, and left me in darkness. I'm not sure how long it was, but when physical awareness began to return to me, I guessed it was only a dream.

"Hylia. Are you awake?"

"I'm awake..." I opened my eyes and sat up. A girl was leaning over me. The first thing I noticed was how pale she was. Her skin was almost white. Then I noticed her purple hair. She was wearing a lot of purple too, and something about her seemed familiar.

"I'm glad you're not injured, Hylia." A lightbulb went off some where inside me. The voice was a lot more normal sounding now, but it was the same voice from that dream.

I wasn't sure why she was saying Hylia so much, but it sounded like she thought it was my name. "My name isn't Hylia." I muttered. _I ache so much..._

There was a pause. "...My apologies." She said. I took a look around. I seemed to be in some kind of pit with a path spiraling up the walls. I could see some kind of building at the top, but I couldn't see enough of it to be able to say what it was.

I looked closely at her, and noticed something strange about her eyes. I wasn't sure, but it made me feel awkward and rude. "Are you... Are you blind?"

"If you are referring to the fact I can't see anything, then yes, I am. It shouldn't worry you, though. I am not offended, I am blessed to be here right now. I don't need to see, I can sense things." She paused. "If your name is not Hylia, what is your name?"

"My name is Zelda." I said. The way she spoke made her seem much older than she looked, or in the least, more knowledgeable.

"Understood." She said with a nod. "You are probably very confused right now. Allow me to introduce you to someone who can explain better than I can." She stood up and began to walk away. I got up and followed her, despite the protests of my aching legs.

"What's your name?" I asked.

She looked at me, and I could have sworn she looked upset. "The name I was given is Fi."


	7. Chapter 6: Nina

**I know, I know, I'm a bad, bad person! I promised I would write while I was on holiday, but I didn't have internet connection, so I found myself not bothering. And then I came home and spend a day in bed, then a day preparing for school and unpacking and everything, and then... Well, school's been hectic. I know it's no excuse to leave you for two, three weeks, but... I'm doing some mad writing right now, to try and make up for it. Please forgive me!**

**I know this chapter's probably not that good, but I'm a little rusty. Hehe... Anyway, big thank you to TwilyanPrincess for favouriting me, to Espeonage Espeon for favouriting this story, to Blake-Hero of Tyme, GlissGirl99, Bleachshowlover1 and AngelAnimexinf for reviewing, and to a friend of mine who reminded me that my fanfiction is important to me (And it's up now, can you stop bugging me?).**

**Sorry I made you all wait so long! Please enjoy!**

* * *

Link sat up with a start. He swayed a little, and I had my hand on his arm in an instant, supporting him.

"...Ah, you're awake." I'd been staring at Link for ages, wondering how badly he'd been hurt, that I'd actually forgotten that Headmaster Geaporawas in the room, too. We both looked up at him, surprised. "When Nina brought you back, you were limp and unconscious. I feared the worst." Link glanced at me, and I looked at the floor. "Fortunately, you don't seem to have any serious injuries. For that much we can be grateful."

Link sat forward and stared into his lap. I took my hand from his arm and studied the floor. "But, Link... Where's Zelda?" We shared a look. My quick look at my nervously fidgeting fingers was all he needed to see to know that I knew what had happened. "She was with you, was she not?" I would have explained for him, but it was obvious that Geapora wanted to hear it from Link. "...What's happened to my daughter?" I felt awash with guilt.

Link explained in a quiet, hesitant voice. I didn't bother listening, as I was too busy studing the hands in my lap and carefully considering what happened. I didn't even catch half of what Geapora said. "...no ordinary storm." He turned and walked away. Link sat up and began fastening his boots.

I took his shoulder. "Link, you're still recovering. Don't." He looked at me, and I could tell from his expression that the last thing he wanted to do was sit here and talk about it. From the way he sat back again, I guessed he was too tired to argue.

"Tell me, when you saw Zelda today, did anything about her seem... off?" The Headmaster asked. It seemed like a curious question, but something instantly came to mind.

"She... She was really worried." Link muttered. "About me not winning-"

"She kept talking about the surface." I quickly interjected.

He turned to me. "Talking about the surface?"

I nodded. "For about a week, she's just suddenly been bringing it up in conversation. Asking me if I believe there's anything down there, if I thought there was any way to get down there." I looked a Link. "She must have spoken about it to you, too."

He looked at his hands. "A few times, I guess."

"You guess?"

He sighed. "Every time she brought up the surface, it's just make me think about these dreams I've been having. Something about a 'great mission'."

Geapora looked thoughtful. "You've been having dreams about a 'great mission'? How interesting."

I almost choked when he said it. "I, uh..." I glanced at Link. "I think I've been having dreams like that, too."

"You, too?" The Headmaster was now looking at me, with a rather puzzled expression.

I tried to swallow my nervousness. "I'm sure it's nothing. Beck's been having them too. Maybe it was something we ate..."

"Very curious..." We both stared at Geapora, waiting for him to shed some light on the situation, but he said nothing of the sort. "I'm sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment. It's all very strange, but I doubt there's much of a connection between these things. I'm concerned for Zelda, but as long as she's with her loftwing, I'm sure she'll be fine." He walked towards the door. "Either way, it won't be daylight for quite a few hours yet. Finding her would be difficult, and not to mention dangerous. You two should rest now. She'll be fine, I'm sure, and we can look for her in the morning."

There was the sound of the door closing, and then silence. We were both staring at the floor for what felt like ages. "So, you've had those dreams too?" I nodded. "With the light, and the voice?" He asked.

I shuddered. "And the monster."

"...And Beck has?"

"He asked me to wake him the other day. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer, so I let myself in. Before I got to him to wake him up, he sat up shouting something." I looked at Link and gave him a weak smile. "He explained it all to me then. But I didn't tell him I'd been having similar dreams."

He looked at the ceiling. "What do you think it means?"

I shrugged. "It probably doesn't mean anything. The chances are-" I broke off as he glared at me. "What?"

"I don't believe this could mean nothing. Why would the three of us have the same dream?"

"It's common among twins and triplets that they think the same things..." I muttered.

Link sighed and shook his head. "Where's Beck? I want to know what he thinks." My breath caught in my throat and I looked at the floor. He leaned closer to me. "Nina? Did... did something happen?"

"I could only save one of you, okay?" I whispered. I heard him gasp.

"What happened?" He asked.

I sighed and stared at my feet. "When the Ceremony was over, I decided to go for a quiet fly around Skyloft. I hadn't had a chance to just fly around for a couple of weeks, so I thought it would be nice to just relax. I met Beck when I was out flying - he'd just come from Bamboo Island, I think he said. Then we spotted you and Zelda out flying, and he suggested we fly by and say hi. We were following you at a higher altitude when the tornado formed. As soon as he saw Zelda being dragged towards it, he flew in to help, but... That was where I stopped concentrating on him for a bit. I heard Zelda scream, and then I saw you flying for her and get knocked back, and I instinctively dove to catch you." I paused.

"And Beck?" He pressed.

"Beck... Obviously knew a bit more about how tornados work than you do." I caught an indignant snort from Link. "He flew at it from above."

"Did he get knocked out as well?" He asked.

"No." I sighed again. "He got sucked into it with Zelda. They both fell through the clouds, Link."

He was silent for what felt a long time. He then tried to sit up again. "Damnit." He muttered. "It's... It's my fault."

"No, no it's not. You can't believe that." I hastily replied.

"If I had been quick enough to save Zelda-"

"Link!" I half shouted at him. "Look, I know you're probably feeling awful right now, but so am I! If you had been fast enough? How about if I had been fast enough? There's nothing either of us could have done!" I paused. He was staring at me, his eyes wide. I let my shoulders dropped and I looked at my hands in my lap. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't snap."

He put a hand on my shoulder. When I looked at him, he gave me a small smile. "You're right. Sitting here and feeling sorry for ourselves isn't doing anyone any good."

I smiled back at him. "Let's look for them together okay?"

He nodded. "Sure."

I stood up and walked to the door. I turned back to Link. "You should rest now. The sooner we look for them, the better. But you're not trained to fly at night. Don't try anything too dangerous."

"I'm not tired." He muttered to himself.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and continued as if he hadn't spoken. "I'll go and look for them now. I'll wake you up when it starts to get light out." He glared at the floor. I wanted to say something else, but I had a feeling nothing would be worth saying. I decided it was best to leave him, so I headed outside.

* * *

"I know, I'm sorry. I know you don't like flying when it's dark..." I muttered as I fastened the light mask to the head of my loftwing. He raised his wings, almost like he was shrugging in exasperation. I began stroking his neck. "I know this is a bit of a pointless journey, but I know Link will feel so much better if he knows I'm looking. Heck, I'd feel better if I was looking." I sighed, gave him a final pat and hoisted myself onto his back.

We took off into the night. We flew around the east of Skyloft for a while, where the tornado had been. After what felt like ages, I decided to look somewhere else. I'll start flying around Skyloft and work my way outwards. _That way I shouldn't miss an inch of sky._

I wasn't sure how long it had been, but the windburn on my cheeks and the ache of my legs told me that I'd been flying for much longer than I'd like to. I considered flying back to the Academy and sleeping until dawn, but I knew I shouldn't. I found myself almost falling asleep when something caught my eye. I'd flown around Skyloft about seven times now, and I was approaching the Statue of the Goddess. Something below the Statue seemed to be... sparkling.

I decided to fly closer and investigate. Sure, it most certainly wasn't Zelda and Beck, but it piqued my curiosity. It's purple, whatever it is... The closer I got, the more curious it became. Whatever the sparkling light was, it was large. As big as a person, I guessed. I flew closer and closer, and then noticed it was moving. It seemed to be flying. _It seems to be the shape of a person._

I was wondering if I had fallen asleep and was dreaming, but I saw another movement. It blended into the darkness. It was small, and looked like it was a creamy colour. Then I caught a flash of red._ A remlit! It's... Kylar!_ I felt a little warmth as I realised that I'd found out where my remlit hid a night. But that happiness faded when I saw who was moving towards it. _Link!_

I was close enough to make out the scene now. The purple light - which seemed to look almost human - was floating above the ground, moving slowly backwards. It seemed to be looking at Link. Between the two was Kylar, looking about ready to pounce. Link was staring at the remlit as it stalked towards him.

I would've called out, or gone to help, but I only had time to glance the scene before it all sprung into action. The light floated away from Link at the same moment that Kylar leapt. Link ducked under the remlit and stumbled into a messy forward roll, but he'd managed to pass Kylar. As the light began to move away, he stumbled after it, the remlit forgotten. It was than that I realised he was following that... Person. Curious, I flew closer yet.

I wasn't sure how to describe it. I flew close enough to make it out as Link climbed up to the Statue of the Goddess. This _girl_ seemed to be some kind of spirit. She wasn't solid, that was for sure. She seemed to be a ghost of some kind. I was ready to land and interrupt this little game of ghost chase at that point. I followed them round to the front of the Statue and guided my loftwing down to the courtyard. As he landed and I jumped from his back, I looked up to see something that made me rub my eyes in confusion.

The spirit girl seemed to be floating right in front of Link, just before the Statue. She gracefullt foated backwards into the wall of stone behind her, but as she passed through it, the stone dissapeared. Link hesitated for a moment, then cautiously followed.

_She led him into the Statue!_


	8. Chapter 7: Link

I think this chapter is a little short in comparison to others, but I didn't really want to make it any longer, to be honest... But, oh well. It's still a chapter, and an important one, at that. That makes up for it, right? :P

Anyway, big thank you Leman the Russ for adding me as a favourite author, and thanks to Bleachshowlover1, Princess Zelda-figure skater, Blake-Hero of Tyme, GlissGirl99, Narita, Ananymous Reviewer and an anonymous guest for their reviews. And thank you to some of you for your 'Welcome Back' comments of varying levels... (Blake...)

* * *

"I've been waiting for you. I'm glad you followed me here." I looked up at the girl. She was... insubstantial. It was almost like she was a ghost. She paused. "I should introduce myself. My name is Fi."

"Fi..." I muttered. "My name is Link."

"I know." She smiled. "You see, I was created to guide you on your journey."

"Journey?" I shuffled uncomfortably. _Am I sure I'm not dreaming?_

"Yes... You're very confused, as is to be expected. I assure you, all will be clear in time. Link," She floated to one side. "The sword that resides here in this statue, the statue of great Hylia - it is yours. You must take it."

I glanced at the sword. "Take it? But..." It was inside the Statue of the Goddess, and it had been there for years. No one had known it was there. It didn't feel right to just _take_ it.

"You're hesitating." Fi said. It was a statement more than a question, but I still nodded. "Why?" She asked, her head tipped to one side, her short purple hair brushing against her shoulder.

"It's not mine, it can't be." I said, shaking my head, trying to resist the urge to shake myself awake.

Fi stared at me for a moment, her expression considering. "There is a legend," she began, "of a war ravaged surface below the clouds. You have heard the story, haven't you?" I nodded. "In that case, have you heard the Legend of the Chosen Hero - the Valiant Youth?"

"I... don't think so." I muttered.

"Your dreams - the nightmares you share with your siblings. My sudden appearance and your worry for your friend. I can understand why you're apprehensive. Your emotional state isn't... Shall we say, practical, for this situation. Would it ease the burden on your mind if I told you that your friend, Zelda, is safe?"

"Yes." I replied without hesitation.

"And if I were to tell you that the only way for you to help her is to take this sword?"

I paused, looking at the sword. I didn't look at her. I took a deep breath. "Then I'd take it."

She floated back a little and waved her hand at the sword. I stepped forward to stand before it.

"In the name of my creator, draw the sword and point it skyward."

I took a deep breath and took the hilt with both hands. For Zelda. The sword slid from the pedestal with a satisfying sound. Once it was free of the stone, I held it out before me and then pointed it to the sky. Light that filtered through a gap in the ceiling glinted off the blade. It took me a moment to notice that a purple-blue light was creeping up the blade. When the entire blade was glowing that same purple-blue, the blue engraving on the metal crept along its length.

"The sword..." Fi murmured. "It now belongs to you. It was you all along who was ment to hold this sword."

"Link!" The voice, familiar and deep, came from the enterance to the chamber. I turned back to see Headmaster Geapora walking towards me. He glanced at he sword, and I noticed his brows rise in surprise. He then looked at Fi.

His gaze returned to me. "I've had my suspicions, but until now, I wasn't sure... Yet here we are in the Chamber of the Sword, the very place where it was foretold that the youth of legend would one day appear."

"Youth of legend?" I glanced at Fi.

Geapora nodded. "Many people say this very room was left to us by the Goddess herself. "I don't think I believed it, but now..." He gave me a meaningful look. "The very knowledge of this room is passed from generation to generation, but only a few are trusted with the information. With it there are a few words, also. _'When the light of the goddess's sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will wake from its long slumber. Do not fear, for it is then that a youth, guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred.'_ That's if I recall it correctly, at least." He looked at the sword I was holding. "It been happening for a few days now. The sword I've kept in secret... it began to give off an otherworldly light. I was almost certain I was seeing things, as there were no other witnesses. But... There simply were no other explanations." He looked to Fi, his awe obvious. "I never dreamed the words of the prophecy would come true in my lifetime. Yet here, they are. _'The youth will be guided by one born of the blade - one who is also youthful in likeness, yet wise with knowledge immeasurable._'"

I stared at the Headmaster for a moment, bewildered. "Oral tradition... It's a highly unreliable method of information retention." Fi said. Both Geapora and I turned to face her. "Critical sections of the passage appear to have been lost over the generations." She turned to Geapora. "Don't worry, I'm not blaming you. But allow me to fill in the gaps your ancestors have left you with. _'The youth who draws forth the guiding sword shall be known as the goddess's chosen hero, and it is he who possesses an unbreakable spirit.'_"She began to recite. "_'He shall be burdened with the task of abolishing the shadow of apocalypse from the land. Such is his destiny. With the spirit of the blade at his side, he shall soar over the clouds and plummet below...And united with the spirit maiden, shall bring forth a piercing light that resurrects the land.'_"

I was feeling a little light-headed when Fi faced me. "Link, you must undertake a great journey. You must go beneath the clouds, where none of your people have gone for many, many years. It is your mission - your destiny. It's also the only way you will meet with Zelda again.

Geapora turned to me, seeming quite shaken by what she'd said. "This is no easy task, Link. The world below... it is a forsaken, dangerous place. I cannot tell you anything about the land below, but I know that, to reach it, you must pierce the cloud barrier. In living memory, no one has done it, ever."

"Link." Fi called. I turned to her. She was now beside an altar of some nature. "Take this." She held out both hands, and the room filled with a bright purple light. When I dared to look back, her insubstantion form seemed to be holding a piece of stone. "You will need this. It will show you how to pass through the clouds."

I stepped forward and took the stone from her. It was a section of a stone tablet, with what looked like a map on it. in the centre was a green gem, like an emerald. "How?"

She waved a hand at the altar. "Place it in there." I nodded and did as she said. I didn't notice any change, but she nodded. "There. You will not see your way through the cloud barrier." Her shape was beginning to fade. "I will see you again, soon, Link..." With little more than a few purple sparks, she was gone.

I paused for a moment, then turned to Geapora. "Link, listen a moment." I expected him to say something about my night-time excrusion, but he said nothing of the sort. in fact, what he said surprised me. "The great apocalypse mentioned in the old texts is a mystery to me, but whatever it turns out to be, it seems that both you and Zelda have big roles to play in the destiny of this land."

I nodded hesitantly. "If what Fi says is true..."

"Just think-if what this Fi says _is_ true, Zelda is alive! No doubt she's also coming to terms with whatever it is the goddess has in store for her." He paused and his expression hardened. "I don't know what dangers you may have to face, Link, especially down there. But if you've decided to brave the unknown, please find my daughter and bring her back to me."

"I promise." I said.

He gave me a sideways glance. "So you're going?"

I bit my lip. "I guess so. Like you said... There's no other explaination. And I'd much prefer to try and find Zelda than to sit about and worry about her."

The Headmaster chuckled and smiled at me. "I'm certain you'll do your people proud, Link. It's been a long night, for both you and I. Well return to the Academy now, and I'll fetch you the uniform you were due to win from the race." That felt like weeks ago now. "Don't tell me you'd forgotten?"

"No, I... It doesn't seem like that happened today."

He chuckled again and lead the way out of the statue. "I think that uniform will be more suitable to your journey. Don't you?" I nodded. "Oh, did anyone come with you to the statue? I saw your sister outside. She was the one that led me here, actually."

"Nina? Really?"

He nodded. "I saw someone flying very close, and came to investigate. Then I saw something inside the statue here. She was muttering to herself about seeing things, and got on her loftwing and flew away."

"She's probably going to have a go at me for getting myself involved in something so dangerous..."

"I guess you'd better get in some sleep before you see her, then, hm?"


	9. Chapter 8: Beck

Sorry this chapter's so short :/ I could've made it longer, but I didn't feel like it much. I thought I should write something anyway. So, here's the next instalment of the Tri-Hero! :3

Biiiiig thank you to SamZelda for favouriting me, and to miano53 for favouriting this story! Thank you to Ananymous Reviewer, Blake-Hero of Tyme, Bleachshowlover1, GlissGirl99 and miano53 for your reviews.

I've recently been considering making a few manga-styled pages for this fic. Of course, I'm not sure which scenes to draw, or if I should just do all of it. I'm not even sure if should do it at all! (Feel free to check out my deviantART - I'm under the same name there, too) But since it'll probably be you guys that read it, I guess it's up to you. Answers in a review or PM, please! :3

* * *

I sat up and looked around. The ground below me was an overgrown circular patio. The grass here was a dark green, not the bright green I was used to. To one side of me was metal railing. I lazily heaved myself across the ground and looked down, and below me was some kind of pit with a steady slope winding its way up the wall. In the very middle there seemed to be something greyish surrounded by something black. _Scorched grass?_ I thought dismissively. I leant back against the railing and looked at the strange statue that had been behind me. It seemed to be some kind of bird, and it looked like an ugly deformed loftwing. All around me were trees, darker than any I'd seen before. I looked up to the sky, a pale distant blue with a layer of clouds up way above me. _The cloud barrier!_

With a sudden flash of panic, I stood up and grabbed the railing, leaning over the edge and staring around for something familiar, but I knew I'd find nothing familiar. With a nervous glance at the statue behind me, I looked back up at the sky._ I'm definitely not in Skyloft anymore..._

Staring at the sky, my eyes flicking from cloud to cloud, I raised a hand to my mouth and sounded a sharp whistle, then waited. No loftwing. I whistled again, then paused, and again. Nothing.

Sighing, I raised a hand to my stinging temple. My hand came away bloody. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, then wiped the blood off on my tunic._ My tunic's red. It won't show._

I stared at the smeared blood on my hand. _The blood wasn't there when I..._ I stretched out my arm as if reaching for something, and the sensation was as if Groose had hit me directly between the eyes with a sharp stone or something. _Zelda!_

The last thing I could remember was flying with Nina, and she pointed out Link flying with Zelda. Not intending to seem like stalkers, I had suggested catching up and calling to them. And then... then Zelda was pulled into the tornado..._ And I was stupid enough to think I could be the hero!_ I looked around. _Now where did that get me?_

Deciding that Zelda would probably be nearby, I set off. _Besides, that statue is creeping me out..._ I followed the railing along, slowly, playing the scene over and over in my head. My spirits fell when I realised there was probably no way that I could get back home. But the least I could do was look after Zelda. I just had to find her first.

At the end of the railing there was a short drop._ I probably wouldn't be able to get back up again once I got down, but what use to me was that statue?_ That was all that was there. I shrugged and dropped down. Before me was some kind of stone wall, embellished with a pair of giant doors.

Zelda probably would have been seeking help. _It couldn't hurt to look._ With another shrug, I pushed the doors open a little and stepped through the crack.

At the other end of the temple, somone was sitting, bathed in sunlight that filtered through a gap in the ceiling. It was too bright to guess who it was. I pushed the door to with my foot and walked towards them.

"Welcome, child." It was an old woman. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Uh, Beck. Ma'am." I hastily added. Maybe the customs she was used to was not the informality of Skyloft. Although I saw no reason to talk to this woman, there was no need to be deliberately rude. Plus, she might've seen Zelda.

She chuckled. "Beck... There is no need to be so informal." I reached the bottom of the stairs in front of her. "You are looking for your friend, are you not?"

"You know where Zelda is?" I quickly asked. She nodded.

"I know, but I cannot tell you. You wish to help her, don't you?" She asked.

"Is she in trouble?"

"...She may be, if you do not do what you are destined to."

I looked at my feet for a moment and considered. Could I trust the words of some old woman I'd just met in a temple? "What do I have to do?"

There was a pause. I would almost feel her examining me. "Fi," She called.

"Fi?" I echoed? At the same moment, the crooked doors begind the old woman shifted, and a girl stepped out from behind them.

"Greetings." She nodded at me. She had purple hair and was wearing a blue shift with gold patterns and a blue crystal on the front. She was carrying a sword which matched her dress' colour. She turned to the old woman. "Is this the one?" The woman nodded.

Fi decended the steps towards me with such grace it was as if she were floating. She held out the sheathed sword to me, and the old woman spoke. "Take the sacred sword if you wish to aid Zelda."

I looked up at her. "Sacred?"

"You are destined for great things, Beck." She replied.

I looked to Fi. "I wish I could explain everything to you now, but I cannot do that. What I can tell you is that, without this sword, you cannot save Zelda. Take the sword and accept your mission, and I can explain to you much more that you need to know."

"If I'm going to save Zelda from danger, I may need to fight. And I don't have my sword with me." Looking up at the old woman, then back to Fi, I placed my hand on the sword. "I'll accept it."

She smiled. As my other hand slid under the weapon and took it's weight, Fi's hands slipped from it, and I found myself holding it. "Zelda was here a while ago, but she left to begin her own journey."

"She was here?" I asked. _I had missed her!_

She nodded. "Not long ago."

"I have to catch up to her!"

"Wait," Fi murmured. "If her mission is not completed, she will be in even more danger. There is a certain point at which you must meet."

"Your journey will take you to the province of Eldin, child. There, you will meet with your Zelda. Be brave, Beck, and good luck."

Fi nodded at me. "I will guide you there. As we travel, I will explain your mission." She raised her hand to indicate the side door. "Allow me a moment to say my goodbyes. Please, wait for me outside."

I headed to the door, as she had directed, and I couldn't help listening to their conversation. "What is wrong, child?"

"I sense it is getting worse."

"I see."

"I suggest sealing the doors. We do not know what could happen until my mission is complete."

"I agree..."

The doors closed with a heavy thunk behind me. I looked over my shoulder at the door for a moment before strapping the bandolier onto my back. I drew the sword and looked at the blade. It was pretty short, but it was considerably sharper than mine back in Skyloft.

Spotting a patch of long grass, I decided to try it out. Casting a quick glance around to make sure no one was looking, I sliced the tips of the grass from their stalks. From somewhere within the patch, out bounced a green rupee. Surprised, I picked it up. It looked exactly like those we had up in Skyloft. _Maybe I can use it..._

I felt a pang of sadness when I realised that I couldn't. I had taken what I had for granted - I was honestly missing Skyloft now I knew I couldn't go back.

"Beck?" I turned to see Fi. "I can sense your sadness. What's bothering you?"

"I... I'm a little homesick." He reluctantly admitted.

Her face fell. "I'm sorry. If I was able to, I would complete this mission for you and would not take you away from the ones you love."

I nodded in reply. I didn't say that it was one of my loved ones that had brought me here.

She walked past me. "Follow me; I'll lead you to Eldin."

I follwed her. We didn't look back, and she began to explain something called dowsing. We both walked on, unaware that a pillar of green light split through the late evening clouds behind us. Through the clouds fell a figure who then floated to the ground with a sailcloth.


	10. Chapter 9: Nina

**Sorry for the long wait guys . It's half term now! If I don't spend all my time doing homework, I should be able to catch up with a load of my writing. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starts on Thursday! I'd like to issue a warning that I will be writing another Zelda fanfiction for NaNo, so keep your eyes open for it on Thursday. It will be like a retelling of Twilight Princess through a 100 themes challenge. Because of that, I will probably have no time to write any other fanfictions next month. Just a warning! **

**Big, big thank you to CrimsonLaurana for both favouriting me and this story. Also, my usual love goes out to Miano53, Blake-Hero of Tyme, Bleachshowlover1 and GlissGirl99 for your reviews.**

**And guys... It wasn't Link :P**

* * *

_Did he really go inside the statue...?_ I rubbed my head._ Did I get enough sleep last night?_ I let my bird lead me around the sky and stared into the black expanse of sky before me. I guiltily remembered being told that I should only fly at night when I really had to, but I felt like I really needed some fresh air, so, in my opinion, it counted.

It was finally becoming clear to me now. There really was no way of saving Zelda and Beck. I glanced down. I couldn't see anything beyond my own feet, and far, far below that was the cloud barrier, and beyond that, there was no way of telling how far below that the surface was... Feeling more than a little nauseous, I clutched the neck of my loftwing and shuddered. Maybe I should be thankful that I don't know what's down there. I don't know, maybe both Beck and Zelda could be crushed mangled bodies on a cold stone ground...

I moaned. "I think I'm gunna be sick." _Stop thinking about it!_ I took a deep breath and decided to concentrate on where I was flying, rather than anything else. I took a moment to get my bearings. _I'm in the south-eastern skies. I'll fly north from here._

I tried to focus my attention on every flying skill I was using, but it all came to me so naturally that it was pointless. I was just desperately trying to think of something else to take my mind off the surface when something caught my eye. It was like a giant spark, falling from the sky. I couldn't tell how far away it was, but I watched it drift further and further down as I wondered what it actually was. _A lost Starry Firefly?_

As I brushed off my confusion with a shrug, a bright green light shot up in front of me and my loftwing. Startled, he shied and I fell from his back. At first, I was too busy shielding my eyes from the light to call for him, but by the time the light had faded enough for me to do so, I could see the cloud barrier right below me.

Suddenly panicking, I lost the form of my sky diving and began free-falling, holding on to my hat. The air blew my hat up like... _like a sailcloth!_ I quickly rummaged through my pouch and pulled out the patched up sailcloth, hastily unfolding it. After long enough of a slowed fall to breathe a sigh of relief, I looked to the ground. There was enough morning daylight here to show me that the ground was still quite far below. As I tried to adjust my grip on the sailcloth, it, along with may hat, flew out of my hand. All of a sudden the ground was very, very close.

My foot got caught on a tree branch on the way down, which thankfully slowed my fall. But it also left me sprawling across the grassy floor like a loftwing on ice. _Grass? I thought the texts said the land below was barren and void of life..._ I pulled my hat back on to my head and sat up, and found myself facing a scarily familiar statue. _A Bird Statue!_ It was covered in moss, but I still recognised it.

I reached out to brush away some of the moss, and as my fingers touched the stone, a piercing orange light came from within it and burned away every piece of moss. "WOAH! What was THAT?!" Heavy footsteps sounded from behind me. I turned to see a huge creature made of some king of rock. It was staring at the statue, and I guessed from the huge scrolls and the full backpack it carried that it wasn't about to attack me. "The statue just reacted to you! What did you do?"

"I, uh, I touched it..."

"According to the ancient texts, these old statues serve as landmarks to those travelling up to the sky or down from this 'Isle of the Goddess' place. Supposedly this statue is special, as it is said to have the ability to activate all the other statues." He said, folding his arms.

"Isle of the Goddess?" I asked, lamely. _Does he mean Skyloft?_

"According to some of the ancient texts I have read, there is a place way up in the sky called the Isle of the Goddess. Old statues like these were placed here to provide travellers with a way back up to the island."

I stood up and brushed myself off. "You mean these statues provide a way into the sky? How?"

"I don't know, bud. But my research seems to suggest this particular statue is special in that it alone holds the power to activate all the other statues."

_So there's more than just this one?_ I thought.

"Ah, but you asked about the Ise of the Goddess. Originally, I didn't believe in what the texts said, but now I've seen this, I think I believe it! Do you want to hear about what the texts say?"

I quickly folded up the sailcloth I was still holding and tucked it away in my pouch, then looked at the rock creature, smiled and nodded. "You have me intrigued."

"Ah, sounds like I have a fellow connoisseur of ancient cultures here! All right, bud, you had better brace yourself, because I am about to blow your mind." He rubbed his hands together in excitement. "So get this: people actually live on this sky island, and they get around by flying on the backs of huge birds that are way bigger than birds down here!"

Surprised, I nodded.

"Up there everyone reveres the goddess, and the residents of all the islands in the sky live in a perfect society, totally free of conflict or unhappiness! Not only that, but from what I can tell, their civilization is way, way more advanced than ours down here. But it does not even stop there, bud! This Isle of the Goddess has even more stuff to marvel at!"

It was starting to sound slightly exaggerated, but I nodded anyway. "Do continue."

"The place was crafted by the goddess herself, so it figures that it is filled with wonders we do not have here. The buildings are all made of gold! An endless spring of mystical water feeds a river through the place. One sip of that stuff, and you live forever! The trees are heavy with plump fruit that cures all disease! The fields are crowded with pumpkins that never rot!"

My expectations crushed, I had to fight the urge to laugh. _Gold crafted buildings are impractical, our water is just water, and it's best that way. We have no fruit that cures any diseases, and not only do our pumpkins rot, but they stink when they do!_

He continues to spew fantastical nonsense. "Magic wild flowers bloom everywhere! And the weather. Oh, the weather, bud - Not too hot, not too cold. No chance of sweaty heat in this garden paradise! That is the Isle of the Goddess... Amazing, right?"

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths to keep myself from laughing at him. It's n_ot nearly as amazing as you seem to think it is!_ After all, it wasn't his fault that he's never seen Skyloft.

"WRONG!" He cried.

I almost sighed with relief.

"IT IS BEYOND AMAZING!"

I stared at him in stunned silence for a while. "Well, uh... Don't you think that... Maybe, if such a place doesn't exist here, then maybe it couldn't in the sky either...?" I asked.

"Ah, but this island was formed by the Goddess herself!"

_No, not according to our ancient texts..._

"Anyway, I'm going to take some time to examine this statue. It was nice talking to you. Oh, I'm Gorko the Goron, by the way."

I nodded respectfully at him. "I'm Nina."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Nina. Will you come back with any information you can find about these statues, or about the Isle of the Goddess itself? You seem like the kind who would stumble across this sort of information."

"Sure. I'd be happy to come back." I smiled at him and watched him wonder closer to the statue. I took a quick look around and saw some kind of building. It was as good of a place to start as any. I pulled myself up the vines covering the wall leading to it. As I got closer, I recognised it as some kind of temple. I carefully pulled open the door and quietly stepped inside.

"Welcome." I looked up as I shut the door behind me. I could make out a figure sat at the back of the temple, but I couldn't see who or what it was because of the light filtering through the hole in the ceiling.

"I'm sorry to intrude," I began, "But I'm looking for-"

"You're looking for a friend of yours, and your brother, correct?"

I blinked in surprise. "Y-yes, I am."

"Come in, there is much to speak with you about." I flinched as I realised I'd been standing awkwardly by the door. I walked towards the back and stopped before the stairs.

"Can you tell me where they are?"

The old woman sat in the light chuckled. "I'm glad you asked. I'm afraid I can't. But there is something you can do to help them."

"I'll help." I nodded. I didn't know what she'd tell me to do, but anything that could help Zelda and Beck.

"You shouldn't look so worried. You see, you are all part of a great destiny. You would have not been chosen if you would have not been able to complete the tasks laid out before you."

"What do I have to do?"

She paused. "I cannot explain it all to you. But there is somewhere you must go, and you will find out what you have to do when you are there." I nodded. "First, I shall not ask you to walk there. It is dangerous and difficult. I will give you this." She held something out to me. I hesitated before making my way up the steps to her and taking it. "It is the Amber Tablet. This will show you the way from the clouds to reach your destination."

"Thank you, but I can't get back to the clouds." I replied, handing the Tablet back to her.

She didn't take it, shaking her head. "I assure you, there is a way. There is a landmark that will guide you back."

I stared down at the stone in my hands and nodded. "Alright." I slipped it away into my pouch.

"Your brother, Beck..." I looked up to see her holding another Tablet.

"What about him?"

"You want to help him, don't you?" She asked.

"I do, yeah." She held out the second Tablet to me.

"This is the Ruby Tablet. It will guide him to and from the clouds and make his journey easier." I nodded and took it from her, slipping it away again. "Allow me to explain. You fell through a pillar of green light, did you not? The Emerald Tablet was placed into the altar."

"Where is the Altar?"

"It should have been hidden somewhere no one would think to look, somewhere that has only been discovered recently. But if you ever want to return here, follow the green light."

"Thank you." I turned and walked down the steps.

"Wait. There is someone I'd like you to meet." I turned back to look at the old woman as the temple's side door opened, and through it stepped a girl with purple hair.

"Fi."

The girl, obviously named Fi nodded to the old woman. "I haven't got long before I must return." She hurried up the steps and through the door at the back of the temple. I was about to ask the old woman about her, but she reappeared, holding what looked like a sword in it's sheath. She walked straight to me. "You must take this sword. It will be great help to you through your journey."

"I already have a sword," I muttered, nodding my head at the hilt of the sword on my back. She shook her head.

"You will only be able to help your friend if you take this sword. You cannot save her without it."

I bit my lip and nodded. She held it out to me, and I took it, drawing it part way to examine the blade. It was much sharper than the one I had, and I realised there was no way this new sword would hinder my efforts, so I had no reason to decline it.

"It is called a Goddess Sword. There are only three, and they are very important to your mission. I must leave you now, but we will speak again and I will explain more to you then." She turned and walked away, leaving me feeling a little dazed.

I looked back at the old woman. She nodded at me. "The sooner you begin your journey, the sooner you can save your friend."

With noting to say, I nodded again and turned and walked to the door. Just as I was about to open it, I looked back over my shoulder. "My name's Nina, by the way."

A small smile spread across the old woman's face. "I know."


End file.
